Shelf-resetting mechanism for drop-shelf package vendors



May 27, 1969 J, F, GAslEL ET AL 3,446,396

SHELF PACKAGE VENDoRs SHELF-RESETTING MECHANISM FOR DROP- Filed Nov. 27, 1967*- Sheet of 2 m mw wm E 8/ T, M0 2 w MFM d M 2 W Y um L E f m M www m m m m M M w O 58 f l x2, M M m/w w 5 8 )m 2 0 0 0 6 "ldn i @l .l/s .J. *114m ./I lllllll w s m. m m m M l 1 1 C E Q www .v .u a "vwl 2 4 u. 6 Il 2 8 3 l May 27, 1969 J. F. GAslEL ET AL 3,446,396

P-sHELF PACKAGE vENDoRs SHELF-RESETTING MECHANISM FOR. DRO Filed Nov. 27, 1967 sheet ,3 @f2 uva/mmm JOSEPH E @As/5L JA MES c. aow/vs nited States Patent O U.S. Cl. 221-90 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A new, safe, and more eicient shelf resetting mechanism for drop-shelf vending machines comprises a lever mechanism pivotally attached to a vertically moving reset bar that engages protrusions on the edge of the individual shelves, thereby enabling the shelves to be raised to a horizontal reset position in one simple operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to a new shelf resetting mechanism for a drop-shelf package vendor in accordance wit-h which an operator refilling the vending machine may reset all the shelves in the machine by merely actuating a single lever.

Description of the prior art A coin-operated drop-shelf vending machine comprises one or more columns of pivotally mounted shelves in a vertical arrangement, with the shelves being held in a horizontal position by -a lock and release mechanism. When a purchaser inserts a coin into the proper slot and actuates the appropriate selector mechanism, the lock and release mechanism releases the bottommost shelf in the selected col-umn and allows it to pivot downwardly, thereby allowing the contents of that shelf to fall down a chute to an open receptacle where the purchaser may pick up the item purchased. To refill the vending machine, it has heretofore been necessary for an operator to reset each individu-al released shelf before items may be placed on the shelves.

A recurring problem in refilling drop-shelf package vending machines has been the problem of speeding up the refilling process and thereby increasing the efficiency of the operator refilling the machine. It is standard practice at the present time for the operator to run his linger over each individual shelf, thus raising the shelves to a horizontal position so that they will reset. This operation is time consuming and is even potentially dangerous to the operator. The shelves in a drop-shelf package vending machine are often made of thin-gauge sheet steel and are stamped out with a metal cutting machine. Consequently, the edges of these shelves are often sharp and jagged and often cause injury to the operator as he resets the shelves in the machine. Also, the method of resetting the shelves by hand is time consuming and ineiiicient, and reduces the number of machines that an operator can refill in a single workday. Thus, the profitability of vending machines is reduced as a result of the ineiiiciency in the refilling operation.

There have been some attempts to increase the efficiency of the refilling operation. For example, Stoner U.S. Patent No. 2,925,307, shows one attempt to increase the efiiciency of the refilling operation with removable racks that may be prefilled and inserted directly into the vending machine after the expended rack has been removed from the machine. However, the Stoner mechanism is not for a drop-Shelf type vending machine and cannot be utilized in such a machine at reasonable cost.

3,446,396 Patented May 27, 1969 Therefore, it was necessary to devise a new method of increasing the efiiciency of the refilling operation especially adapted for drop-shelf package vending m-achines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, it. has beenl discovered that a shelf resetting mechanism for a dropshelf vendor that resets every shelf n a vending machine at the same time by one simple manual operation may be obtained with the mechanism hereinafter described.

For the purposes of description, a coin-operated shelf release vending machine comprises at least one individual storage section having a series of shelves arranged in a vertical column. The shelves are pivoted at either one side or one end so as to be movable from an article-retaining position (generally horizontal)-to an article-dispensing position (generally vertical).

The shelves are normally held in an article-retaining position by a series of independently operable locking and releasing latches, one for each shelf, and these locking and releasing latches may be actuated to release the bottommost unreleased shelf in a column when the purchaser actuates the appropriate selector mechanism. Thus, the shelves are released in ascending succession as the purchasers make their purchases. To refill the Vending machine, it is necessary to raise the individual shelves from their article dispensing position to an article-retaining position so that the spring actuated locking and releasing latches will automatically reset shelves in the article-dispensing position.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention each given vertical column of shelves has a vertically slidable reset member with lug means on the reset member for each shelf in the given column. The individual reset members for each yvertical column of shelves are rigidly attached to one another by an appropriate horizontal member so that they may be vertically moved in unison. Each individual Shelf in a vertical column has a mating lug means adapted to engage the lug on the reset member when the shelf is released to its vertical dispensing position. A lever member, pivotally mounted at approximately its center, is attached to the reset member by a rotating linkage so that when the opposite end of the lever member is pulled in a downward direction the reset bar is raised in substantially a vertical direction. Each lug means on the reset member engages the mating lug means on the released shelves and, as the reset bar moves upwardly, the shelves are cammed upwardly about their pivot point =until they are slightly above the horizontal article-dispensing position at which point the spring-loaded locking and releasing latches automatically lock the shelves in a horizontal article-retaining position.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a shelf resetting mechanism for a` drop-shelf package vending machine that allows all shelves in a dropshelf` vending machine to be reset by one easy manual operation by an operator.

Another-object of the invention is to provide a shelf resetting mechanism of the character described that increases the efiiciency of the refilling operation by shortening the time thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a shelf resetting mechanism for a drop-shelf package vending machine that is safe and prevents injury to the operator.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a shelf resetting mechanism for a drop-shelf package vending machine that allows each and every shelf in the vending machine to be reset by one simple manual operation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features of the subject invention will hereinafter appear and, for the purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, exemplary embodiments of the subject invention are shown in the appended drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of one vertical column of a drop-shelf vending machine with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one vertical column of a drop-shelt` vending machine with a preferred embodiment of the present invention and with the shelves in an article-dispensing position;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of one vertical column of a drop-shelf vending machine with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in an elevated position and with the shelves approach-ing an article-retaining position;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view Iof one vertical column of a drop-shelf vending machine with the shelves in an article-retaining position and with a preferred embodiment of the present invention iin its lower disengaged position;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of one vertical column of a drop-shelf vending machine with Ithe shelves in an article-dispensing position and with a preferred embodiment lof the present invention in its lower disengaged position. It should be noted that in FIGURE 5 the reset bar is placed to the opposite side of the shelves.

'DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGURES 1-5 which generally illustrate p0rtions of a drop-shelf vending machine 8. A plurality of drop shelves are pivotally attached to a series of supporting rods 12 by hinge arrangements 14. IRods 14 are respectively pivotally mounted in a frame 20. 4Each drop shelf 10 has a corresponding shelf locking and releasing arrangement 16 (see FIGURE 1) that automatically locks and holds the drop shelves 10 in a substantially horizontal article-retaining position when the drop shelves are -pivoted to a position slightly more elevated than the generally horizontal article-retaining position. When the purchaser inserts his coin and actuates the appropriate selector mechanism (not shown), the bottornmost shelf locking and releasing arrangement 16 releases the bottommost unreleased shelf in the vertical column, -thus allowing the shelf 10 to pivot downward around its supporting rod 12 and hinge arrangement 1-4 until the shelf 10 is in substantially vertical position (see =FIGURE 2) permitting the article on the shelf to slide off the shelf 10 down a chute 15 to an open receptacle 17 (see FIG- URE 4) where the purchaser may pick up the item purchased.

Once all the shelves 10 in a vertical column have been released to their article-dispensing position (see FIG- URE 2), the individual shelves must be raised until they are slightly vahove their article-retaining position (shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3) so that the spring actuated shelf locking and releasing arrangements 16 will automatically relock the shelves in their article-dispensing position.

The foregoing drop-shelf vending machine 8 is well known vin the art and per se does not form a part of the subject invention which relates to a novel and unique mechanism designed to restore all of the shelves to their article-retaining position in a unitary operation.

A shel-f reset bar 18 is slidably attached to the frame 20 of the drop-shelf vending machine 8 by a pair of pins 22 lixedly attached to frame 20. Pins 22 through a pair of generally vertical grooves 24 provided in reset bar 18. Pins 22 have a narrow portion 23 (see FIGURE 5) with a predetermined diameter small enough to permit bar 18 t-o move slidably with respect thereto. Pins 22 also have an enlarged portion 25 to prevent reset 'bar 18 from sliding off the end of narrow portion 23 of pins 22.

A lever 26 is pivotally and slidably attached to the bottom of reset bar 18 by a pin 28 which pivotally and slidably travels in a groove 29 in lever 26. Pin 28 has a narrow portion 31 with a predetermined dia-meter small enough to slidably travel in groove 29, and p-irl 28 has an enlarged portion 33 (see FIGURE 5) to prevent lever 26 from sliding off the end 4of narrow portion 31 of pin 28. Lever 26 is pivotally mounted at approximately its center by pin 30 which is mounted on frame 20 by means of an appropriate support bracket 35 (see FIGURE 4) To raise the drop shelves 10 from an article-d-ispensing position to a position slightly more elevated than the article-retaining position (thus allowing shelf locking and releasing arrangements 16 to automatically lock the shelves in an article-retaining position), force is exerted downwardly at a projecting end 32 of lever 26. Lever 26 thus rotates about pin 30, causing a substantially vertical force to be applied to reset bar 18 at pin 28. The substantially vertical force transmitted at pin 28 causes reset bar 18 to travel in a generally vertical direction as grooves 24 slide upwardly about pins 22. As reset bar 18 travels in substantially a vertical direction, a plurality of lugs 34 on reset bar 18 engage respectively a plurality of mating lugs 36 provided on the shelves 10. A force is exerted by lugs 34 on mating lugs 36 on the shelves 10, and shelves 10 are cammed upwardly and pivot about their respective hinges 14 (see FIGURE 3) until the shelves 10 are in a position slightly above the article-retaining position (shown in dotted lines -in FIGURE 3). In this position, the shelf locking and releasing arrangements 16 automatically Ilock the shelves in an article-retaining position (see FIGURE 4) Once the shelves 10 are locked in an article-retaining position, the operator may release the lever 26, thus allowing gravitational force to lower the reset bar 18 to its norm-al disengaged position (see FIGURE 4). The shelves 10 rotate back down until the locking and releasing arrangements 16 engage the shelves 10, locking them in an article-retaining position so that the operator can refill the shelves with the item to be vended.

Grooves 24 in reset bar 18 have a slight angular orientation with respect to the vertical axis of reset bar 18. This slight angular orientation causes reset bar 18 to slide upwardly with the same angular orientation, thus `allowing the movement of lugs 34 to approximate the circular arc travel of mating lugs 36 of shelves 10 as shelves 10 pivot about their hinges 14. Consequently, lugs 34 of reset bar 18 remain in constant contact with mating lugs 36 during the entire upward camming operation.

In addition, each groove 24 in reset bar 18 is provided with `an enlarged portion 40 offset perpendicularly at the bottom thereof. This arrangement permits reset bar 18 to be slipped over enlarged portion 25 of pins 22 during the assembly of the unit.

Lugs 34 of reset bar 18 are bent away -from the plane of reset bar 18 at point 42 (see FIGURE l) so that lug 34 is offset in a plane parallel to the plane of reset biar 18. This arrangement permits mating lugs 36 of shelves 10 to be of a dimension such that they do not come in contact with the frame 20 of the drop-shelf 'vending machine. Thus, impediment to the free movement of shelves 10 during the vending process is avoided.

It should be understood that the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 5 is shown 'with respect to a single column of shelves 10 of a drop-shelf vending machine 8. As mentioned hereinbefore, drop-shelf vending machines may comprise one or more such columns of shelves 10. In such a multicolumn drop-shelf vending machine the individual reset bars -18 for each column may be appropriately linked (as by a horizontal bar, not shown) so that the operator can raise all reset bars in the machine by merely pulling one lever. Thus, every shelf in a vending machine can be reset by one simple manual operation.

We claim:

1. In a drop-shelf vending machine having at least one column comprising a plurality of drop-.shelf pivotally mounted one above the other and a corresponding plurality of shelf locking and releasing mechanisms adapted normally to lock the shelves in a generally horizontal article retaining position and further adapted to release the bottommost unreleased shelf in the column in response to customer actuation, an improved shelf resetting mechanism comprising:

a generally vertically slidable reset member mounted in the vending machine adjacent the column of shelves, the reset member being provided with a plurality of lug means, one for each shelf in the column;

actuating means for causing the reset member to slide in a generally vertical direction with reference to the vending machine between a rst position and a second position;

a plurality of mating lug means, one on each of the shelves of the column, each mating lug means being adapted for engagement by a corresponding lug means on the reset member as the reset member is moved Ifrom its first to its second Iposition;

whereby the shelves of such column are moved from their respective generally vertical article-dispensing positions to their respective generally horizontal article-retaining position so as to be locked in such position by their respective shelf locking and releasing mechanisms whenever the reset member is moved from its first to its second position.

2. An improved shelf resetting mechanism, las claimed in claim 1 wherein the actuating means comprises lever means pivotally mounted at a rst point to the vending machine and at a second point to the reset member whereby pivotal movement of the lever means `about the first point causes the reset member to move in a generally vertical direction from its first position to its second position.

3. An improved shelf resetting mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two generally vertical grooves are provided in the reset member, at least two projecting pins on the vending machine passing through the grooves in the reset member, the movement of the reset member between its rst and second positions being defined by the respective upper and lower extremities of the grooves.

4. An improved shelf resetting mechanism, as claimed in claim 3, wherein the grooves in the reset member are disposed at a slight angle with respect to the vertical such that the movement of the reset member between its first and second positions occurs along a direction oriented slightly with respect to the vertical, whereby the lug means on the reset member are maintained in engagement with the mating lug means on the shelves as the shelves pivot from their respective article-dispensing positions toward their respective article-retaining positions.

5. An improved shelf resetting mechanism, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lug means on the reset member are offset lfrom the plane of the reset member along a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the reset member.

6. A shelf resetting mechanism adapted for use in a drop-shelf vending machine comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of drop-shelves pivotally mounted on the frame one above the other in a column;

lil

a corresponding plurality of shelf locking and releasing mechanisms adapted to lock the shelves in a generally horizontal article-retaining position when the shelves are raised to their generally horizontal articleretaining position and further adapted to release the bottommost unreleased shelf in the column from the general horizontal article-retaining position to a generally vertical article-releasing position in ascending order in response to customer actuation;

a reset member mounted on the frame adjacent the column of shelves, the reset member being provided with a plurality of lug means, one for each shelf in the column;

actuating means for causing the reset member to slide vertically with reference to the frame between a rst position and a second position;

a plurality of lug means, one for each of the shelves, each mating lug means being adapted to be engaged by the corresponding lug means on the reset member as the reset member is moved in a generally vertical direction from its rst position to its second position,

whereby the shelves of such column are moved from their respective generally vertical article-dispensing position to their respective generally horizontal article-retaining positions so as to be locked in such positions by their respective shelf locking and releasing mechanisms whenever the reset member is moved from its rst to its second position.

7. An improved shelf resetting mechanism, as claimed in claim 6, wherein the actuating means Icomprises lever means pivotally mounted yat a iirst point to the frame and at a second point to the reset member whereby pivotal movement of the lever means about the iirst point causes the reset member to move in a generally vertical direction Ifrom its rst position to its second position.

8. An improved shelf resetting mechanism, as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least two generally vertical grooves are provided in the reset member, at least two projecting pins on then frame passing through .the grooves in the reset member, the movement of the reset member between its first and second positions being defined by the respective upper and lower extremities of the grooves.

9. An improved shelf resetting mechanism, as claimed in claim 8, wherein the grooves in the reset member are disposed at a slight tangle with respect to the vertical such that the movement of the reset member between its iirst and second positions occurs along a direction oriented slightly with respect Ito the vertical, whereby the lug means on the reset member are maintained in engagement with the mating lug means on the shelves as the shelves pivot from their respective article-dispensing positions toward their respective article-retaining positions.

10. An improved shelf resetting mechanism, as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lug means on the reset member are oifset from the plane of the reset member along a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the reset member.

6/1962 Steiner 5/ 1968 Schuller STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner. 

